Exploring the Lanes of Old Delhi - Chandni Chowk

“You got to experience Old Delhi once in your life to test your grit. Dirty, gritty, and bustling with colour and movement, experiencing Old Delhi is not for the faint hearted.”

-Andre Bolourchi from World Nomads

And I can’t agree less with him. It’s crowded, noisy, dirty and chaotic. Old Delhi has everything that usually puts me off and stops me from going to a place. But there is something about it that still attracts me. So when I thought of following my dream of travelling and taking the first step of breaking free from my fears, the first place that popped in my head was Chandni Chowk – Old Delhi.

Thanks to Delhi metro for such an easy connectivity to Chandni Chowk. I used the DMRC app in my phone to check on the routes and boarded the train around 11am.

Being born into a Sikh family, I have been to Chandni Chowk many times with my parents to visit Gurudwara Sis Ganj, which happens to be a very important historical shrine for us. But I have never visited this place alone.

Just as you step out from the station, you can see road side vendors selling off clothes, shouting and calling for attention, and people bargaining with them. There is just so much going on that I find this noisy and crowded lane from the station to the main road weirdly funny to watch.

Walking through those narrow lanes with some buildings that looked a century old, I realized that day that Old Delhi has its own charm, its own beauty.

A shot of the lanes from inside

A WALK THROUGH THE LANES:

I asked a rickshaw wala the way to my first destination –Digambar Jain Lal and Gauri Shankar Mandir.  On being told that it wasn’t too far, I started walking. Those bustling lanes were so full of life and colors that I couldn’t resist the thought of taking a shot from the top and started looking for some way to reach the terrace of a building. Most of the staircase doors were locked, except one. Much to my surprise, it was a library on the first floor, as silent as it could be. Away from the traffic noise, it seemed like a different world altogether.  But again to my dismay, the door to the terrace was locked. I was running out of time so promised myself of taking that shot some other time and hurried my way straight to the temple.

Digambar Jain Lal Temple

DIGAMBAR JAIN LAL AND GAURI SHANKAR MANDIR:

Digambar Jain Lal is the oldest temple of the Jain religion in the capital while Gauri Shankar is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Made of red stone and white marble both the temples stand together exemplifying beautiful art and excellent architecture.

As I was removing my shoes for the darshan of Gauri Shankar temple, a man in all white, wearing wooden slippers approached and told that the temple was about to be closed so I better hurry up. I could hear the bells and chanting of some mantras along with the claps. But when I reached there it was all silent and I could just catch a glimpse of the idols before the curtains were drawn. I almost felt like god was telling me “sorry kid, not today, I want you to visit me again someday.”

Both the temples close around 12 pm and then reopen around 4 pm. I am surely gonna visit them again one day.

The magnificent - Lal Qila (Red Fort)

HALLMARK OF ROYALTY - RED FORT:

Just opposite the temples, stands the great Red Fort. The massive flamboyant fort made of red sandstone symbolizes the power, royalty and glory of the Mughals.  Built in 16^th century by Shah Jahan, a Mughal emperor, it served as a palace for Shahjahanabad city(former name of old delhi). It is an epitome of Mughal architecture, creativity, art and design on the walls and beautifully carved pillars.

I bought the entry tickets which were for just 20-30 rupees. Gardens inside are perfectly maintained and built according to the infamous Mughal design of ‘charbagh’, though I wondered why there was no water flowing inside. 

Souvenir Shops in Red fort

The main hall area of red fort, called Diwan-i-aam has a marble canopy and a dais where the emperor used to sit and hear grievances of people. It is now preserved inside a glass frame. 

There is a museum inside with paintings, farmaans, calligraphy, utensils, seals, fabrics and other objects of the Mughal era on display. 

A walk around the musem and reading all the history made me feel like I belonged to that era, and had witnessed all those revolts, had seen the army marching and riding on elephants and horses. Oh what an epic site it would have been...

I really lost track of time at the museum. Before heading back to home, I made a quick stop at the Gurudwara.

Beautiful pillar carvings inside Red Fort

A HISTORICAL SHRINE- GURUDWARA SIS GANJ:

It is built at the place where the ninth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was mercilessly beheaded in 1675 by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb when he refused to embrace Islam and fought for the Hindus’ right to practice their own religion.

Built in all sandstone with gold plated domes at its top, what surprises me most about this place is that it is totally at variance with its crowded and noisy surroundings.The moment I step inside its premises, a wave of peace and tranquility washes over me. There is something magical about it. It makes me forget about all my worries and fears.

And not to miss, the kada parshad (halwa) here is one to be devoured. It is a sacred sweet pudding served in gurudwara, made of flour and desi ghee.  Sitting on the gurudwara floor, with hot prashad in hands, especially against the chilly backdrop of winters, with the divine kirtan (sikhi hymns) going on, feels heavenly to me

Image Source: 3.bp.blogspot.com

OLD DELHI FOOD AND FLAVOURS:

I had an option to visit Paranthewali gali which has parantha shops since 1870s and serve more then 100 kinds of paranthas which are fried in pure ghee. But decided to give it a skip this time and quickly grabbed a burger and fries to munch on from McDonalds.

I then has the most amazing jalebis made of old ghee from the old and famous ‘Jalebiwala’. Though a little high on calories, it’s my all time favorite sweet.
Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala also happens to be an old shop to eat at if you want to try out Indian Chaat.

Image Souce: oddends.files.wordpress.com

Image Souce: eatyourworld.com

PLACES MARKED FOR NEXT VISIT:

Jama masjid. I really wanted to give it a visit but didnt have much time left. It is one of the oldest and most famous Delhi mosque built by Shahjahan in 1650s. Near this place is the infamous hotel - Karim's Hotel which has been serving world famous Mughlai Chicken and Seekh Kabab among other non veg dishes since 1913. But people say if you cant compromise even a bit on cleanliness and hygiene, then this place is not for you.

Image Source: liveindia.com

Nai Sadak. This connects Chandni Chowk road to Chawri Bazar. It has a very big wholesale and retail market of books. I, being a book lover, wanted to visit it and buy some novels, which I heard, are sold for as cheap as 70-80 rupees.

One visit was not enough for me to explore this place. It definitely calls for another soon. Very soon.

If you have been to Old Delhi ever or to any other place with such historical touch to it, I would love to read your stories in the comments below.